Shooting an entire wedding on analog film is a craft that is not practiced all that much anymore nowadays. Only until about 20 years ago all weddings were captured on analog film. So when you think about those nostalgic and timeless looking wedding photos of your parents or grandparents, those were 100% captured on film. Around the mid 2000s digital photography has taken over the industry and still, some photographers and couples return deliberately back to this old technology. At a time where the photographic process has been optimised to achieve maximum control, why would someone still chose analog photography for their wedding? Here are some reasons why.
It’s real
When choosing film your memories are captured on something real and physical. A material you can touch and hold in your hands. The light that is reflected off you, touches a surface and a second in space and time becomes a physical object. A proof that this moment really happened with a real camera and real people. In the age of AI, it’s the last accessible medium that allows memories to carry physical proof of its own existence.
The most beautiful part? Your wedding day keeps bringing you two together in the physical world. Imagine sitting on the sofa hip on hip with your spouse one year or twenty years from now. Page by page, you flip through the album, looking at printed photos that your photographer put in there with their hands. The photos in the album keep creating real intimate moments between the two of you. A physical material will never be able to be replaced by the digitsed version of it. Because the digital version will loose its meaning between all the data on your phone or hard drive. The physical version has a place in the real world.
Film photography is a reminder that the most beautiful moments are not perfect, they are real.
It Strengthens community
Have you ever taken pictures with a film camera with your friends and family? How did it feel when you took the picture? I bet you were excited by the anticipation of how the picture will turn out. Then when your receive the pictures back from the lab? Another moment of pure excitement. The gratification of the taken picture holds on during the moment and until you finally see the result. It bonds us in a more profound way than the digital version. Think about it. When taking a digital picture we quickly take it, look at it to check if it is okay and being tempted by redoing it ten times. It temps us to chase perfection rather than enjoying the moment and connecting with our friends and family.
Film photography also crosses generations. The older generation still remembers how they used to take pictures on film and the younger generation is mesmerised by the realness film photography introduces again. Both share a deep appreciation for the medium which makes them connect directly on the wedding day.
IT slows everything down (in the best way)
When you shoot on analog film you add friction to the whole process naturally. Unlike with a digital camera, there is no possibility to rapidly fire the shutter many times to make sure that one of the photos is worth delivering. To the contrary, as a film photographer you need to craft the moment with intention, which gives the couples some room to breath. Often the spouses get overwhelmed on the wedding day itself. When we are doing the couples shoot during the wedding, they have a moment to connect, take a deep breath and have fun during the photoshoot. It’s a slow moment just for them. The fact that there is no way to control the images instantly allows the couple to let go of the pressure and fully immerse in the experience itself. Couples suddenly stop performing for the camera and start enjoying the moment, leading to the most naturally stunning pictures.
In a way analog photography is the antidote to an optimised and ever faster world.
Its colours and texture are still unmatched
Many photographers and film lovers will tell you that film carries soul. It has a certain magic to it. The photos often look like a memory. A film photo carries much more than just a documentation of a moment, it carries depth, emotions and meaning. When it comes to its soul and depth, digital photography simply never was able to compare. There have been many attempts to explain why this is and I would say it comes down to the nature of film itself. Firstly, millions of tiny silver cristals that are sensitive to light capture the moment, when the camera opens its shutter for fraction of a second. Those silver cristals are round, randomly distributed and unequal in size. They create a completely random pattern. This is pleasent to our eyes because we find the same patterns in nature. Afterall the material comes from nature itself. A digital sensor could never replicate that. This random pattern is also referred to as film grain and can be found on every film photo. Secondly, the colours of film are true-to-life. Colour scientists have spent a long time to perfect the colour science in our film rolls. Reds become deep, greens fresh and blues soft. Skin tones naturally smooth and beautiful. Thirdly, film photos, especially medium format, hast this depth to it. The possibilty to focus on the subject in such a precise manner, allows compression in the background so that the viewer feels like they have been there themselves.
All of this makes film look like a natural part of our own memories and make us feel like we have been there when the photo was shot.
It is a timeless choice
When I shoot on film people often confuse my photos with pictures taken decades ago. This is not a coincidence. Film makes every scene feel so much more timeless. After all, it is the technology that was used for decades before digital photography took over. This is because film photos are not subject to the latest editing trend that many photographers often unintentionally follow based on what the algorithm favours at the moment. Of course you might see modern elements in the photos like modern designs of clothes and objects and also the way photographers approach wedding days has changed. But ultimately, if you stick to a timeless wedding dress or location, film photos will support your choice of your memories never going out of fashion. I believe it is the savest bet to not regret your aesthetic choices 20 years from now.
It’s artistic and intentional
You are not paying for quantity, but investing in artistry. It involves so much more than just pressing the shutter. The film stock is carefully chosen already way before the wedding. The moments that are chosen to be captured are carefully curated because there is no way to check the results or shoot an endless amount of images. Every picture that is taken comes with a cost and a physical limitation of maximum 36 shots per roll of film. The photographic process does not stop after taking the picture. Afterwards it needs to be developed and scanned, which also influences how the colours look like. This becomes part of the artistic process. All of this means that film costs more. There are material costs for the film and time spent in development or paying a lab to develop the film. This is exactly why the craft of film photography becomes so much more intentional and artistic.
It develops real Craftsmanship
The photographer trains their skills everytime they don’t choose the „efficient“ and controlled way of digital photography. With digital photography the photographer often falls into the habit of taking the picture, only afterwards checking the results and blindly adjusting the settings until the results look good. The film photographer has to think beforehand about the settings and only then take the picture. This allows them to deepen their craftsmanship and become a better photographer everytime a picture is taken. You might archieve technically the same results no matter what medium you choose, but ultimately craftsmanship allows for presence and spontaneity.
It allows you to hold onto your own experience
Film cannot be rushed, also not in the post-production process. There will be no sneak peaks within a few days. And I think it is the most beautiful way to approach your days after the wedding. You will have time to just sit with your memory of your day. Let all the emotions and beautiful moments sink in for a while before seeing your photos. I strongly believe that this will lead to you cherishing the moments even more. No added dopamine rush to all the experiences that already need processing. No immediate share on social media. It will just be the two of you, freshly married, nobody to disturb you and your peace. Letting it all sink in together. No pressure to perform for the internet immediately after one of the most beautiful days of your life. You just give yourself permission to be.
Then when the time comes and your photos are delivered. Imagine the rush you get from first seeing your pictures. It is so intense and real. A moment to connect again and celebrate your memories that you created together. When you choose me as your photographer the photos will first be delivered in your photoalbum. So you will be able to see your wedding memories in a physical format, as film was intented to be delivered, for the first time. Creating yet another intimate moment just for the two of you.
It’s love, a chemical miracle
Many describe film photography as a chemical miracle because it captures a moment in time on a physical object. But there is even more to it. It is like the love for your spouse. There simply is chemistry between the two of you, that you cannot quite explain. Those who love film just feel drawn to it. It speaks to their soul in way that is hard to describe to those who are not in love with the medium. In this blog post I tried to explain this chemistry in words. But the truth is, those who feel drawn to film, know it already. When you read this post and feel the chemistry, you know you simply love this artform. And if you do, I believe it is worth to go for it and capture your wedding on analog film.
Hi, I’m Sandra,
a wedding and portrait photographer, specialising on analog film. Here you can expect more blog posts around film photography as well as many wedding stories and couple sessions, all captured and documented on 35mm film.